Chapter 290: Dragon’s Altar – 1
Ian’s battle strategy was very stable.
One might think that he was always hunting in the highest level ground with a high risk, but that wasn’t always the case.
For example, Ian’s most important aspect had always been the damage calculation.
When a general user usually engaged in a battle, he or she would judge what the approximate damage that they would suffer when attacked by the opponent.
And if one calculates it in the right manner, then they will survive while having some vitality left.
Generally, these things were always based on their feelings.
Shakran, Remir, and Irahan are among those who had this excellent talent.
They were better than the normal users when it came to using the ‘sense’.
But Ian was different.
Ian had always been extremely nervous and careful from the first time he began to hunt.
Ian had managed to thoroughly remember all the damage that would be caused by the enemy and used that information when entering a battle.
And when going against a group of opponents, he would try to a.n.a.lyze their battle pattern by going against an individual.
And it was all because of that meticulousness and calm mind, that the current Ian could be made.
The small gains in the battle begin to grow, they, later on, make a huge difference in the battle.
But now Ian needed to abandon his original battle style.
The ‘Time Attack’ dungeon, with no prior knowledge, Ian needed to play in an aggressive and dangerous manner.
“Kaka, move till 20 meters ahead. At a constant speed. Don’t stop. Get it?”
“I understand, Master.”
The only combat powers that Ian could currently use were of Karceus and Pin.
Even considering that Karceus was now in a weak human form as the s.p.a.ce in the dungeon was way too small for it’s original to be used, and Pin would have a problem performing in its best, as the s.p.a.ce was narrow.
Ironically, this battlefield would eventually benefit Ian.
‘I just need to look at the front, no need to cover the back.’
The aisle was so narrow that Pin could barely open its wings.
So the possible damage that Pin could get was lessened, and Ian didn’t give Pin’s condition much thought.
So if Ian could manage to fight without losing Pin, the fight could have a balance, but the movements would be slow.
‘At a fast pace, Karceus will have to go.’
Kang- Kakang-!
Ian held the spear tightly and was ready to slaughter the monster who was running towards him.
Fortunately, the level of the opponents inside the dungeon was much lower than what Ian had imagined.
‘I was thinking a minimum level of 300, but…’
The level of the monsters was between 270~300.
Ian guessed that the level of the monsters was lower than the field because this was a Time Attack dungeon, which was needed to be cleared in a specific time.
“Karceus, make a path and move straight ahead. We don’t have the time to kill them all.”
At these words from Ian, Karceus nodded its head.
“I get it, Master. Even if we don’t do I, we need to move as quickly as we can. I can feel the guardians getting closer to us.”
Ian set all the attack skill to ‘Ideal condition’.
With the skill that he hadn’t used for a while, he was ready to change the equipment if the situation changed.
Ian’s goal wasn’t to kill the enemies but to keep them from following him.
Having reached the entrance of the lower part, he continued to run towards the gate.
[You have entered the 9th floor of the Dragon’s Altar.]
[Time remaining – 00: 09: 28]
Ian gulped.
‘Even if I’m going to fail in this quest, I must get that Cintamani at all costs.’
When Ian had first entered the dungeon, he was at the 25th floor of the Dragon’s Altar. And Ian began to move from 19 minutes, if he calculated correctly, it took Ian exactly 40 seconds to clear one floor.
To go to the lowest floor, there were still 9 floors for him to clear, and it looked like there was still time to reach it.
But that wasn’t the reality.
The Dragon’s Altar—it was a dungeon that would get wider, the lower the floors went.
Meaning, the lower that one got, the more time that it takes to clear the floor.
‘This is trouble. This isn’t a SSSS cla.s.s.’
Ian was breathless, but he desperately moved.
It was because he couldn’t give up the last item that would help them win the Dimensional War.
* * *
The shortest 20 minutes.
The 20 minutes given to break through the Time Attack dungeon was very less, it depended on the person who thought; it’s short if it was thought as short, and long if though as long, but the quest time of 20 minutes given to Ian was lesser than all.
But contrary, there was one person who felt that the 20 minutes were like 20 long hours.
At the LB company headquarters, at 4 am—when all the employees were working,
Na Ji-chan who was still seated alone in the monitoring room was watching the video while sighing.
He was extremely frustrated and completely focused on the screen as if his life depended on it.
“d.a.m.n, this isn’t it. This is such a huge thing.”
Na Ji-chan was the person who was watching the video of Ian.
Till just a while ago, he was watching the video as if he was looking at a movie.
But even then, he wasn’t able to keep his composure.
And the reason wasn’t something else.
‘How can this be? The planning team triggered a quest that I wasn’t told about.’
Ian moved in the same way that Na Ji-chan had predicted.
Although the quest progressed fast enough, the process of going to the Dragon’s Altar was just as Na Ji-chan had predicted.
Even Na Ji-chan wouldn’t have been able to find the hidden entrances, even if placed on Pin’s back.
‘But the time attack dungeon… I don’t remember anything about this.’
The hidden entrance to the lower level was a ‘shortcut’ for the quest that was supposed to be cleared by the Summoner for the Cintamani.
It was designed to allow the users to find information from the NPC’s.
Ian, however, didn’t go through the series of processes, but with a gamers intuition, reasoning, and ‘luck’.
Na Ji-chan who had liked it clapped his hands.
He had always been a fan of Ian, and he also knew Ian’s ability, so he thought that Ian would get his hands on the Cintamani once he finds the shortcut.
Things will get hectic if the Cintamani was consumed, but Na Ji-chan was ready to work with Joy.
But as soon as he entered the ‘shortcut’, an unknown event that even Na Ji-chan didn’t know about came on.
‘Originally until the guardians were discovered… no event should have been triggered…’
And the brilliant Na Ji-chan, after a few minutes was able to guess what was going on.
‘This is a emergency content included to prevent Ian from getting the Cintamani. This maybe the content that the executives have directed the development team to do on a temporary basis. Surely this is a crazy thing to do, and they didn’t know the full capability of Ian.’
However, there wasn’t any problem till now.
This was because Na Ji-chan knew the intention of the development team for including a new event exclusively for Ian.
The problem was that this Time Attack dungeon had a fatal problem, that was, the dungeon content moved very abruptly.
‘Ian can’t move that way, there is no way to go… but if he does manage to destroy the monster and enter the dimensional door…’
The moment the dimensional door opens, the balance of the Kailan would collapse.
It was a dimensional door that was not supposed to be opened.
But the development team and the higher officials do not fully understand the contents of the project.
They just wanted to make Ian be unable to proceed with the quest.
So they were opting for any measure to prevent Ian from getting the Cintamani.
But it would be difficult to completely change the system structure that had already been developed in a short span of time, so the development team decided to tweak the existing system and raise the difficulty level.
They didn’t realize the danger of doing it, and yet they chose to go along with the plan.
Na Ji-chan was restlessly moving in front of the screen like a puppy that wanted to p.o.o.p.
‘Please Ian. Let go of the dimensional door and find the Cintamani.’
Na Ji-chan looked at the remaining time he had and was still attached to the screen, to see the progress and speed of Ian.
And there was two minutes of time left.
Kukung- Kung-!
The stone gate that blocked the lowest floor opened with a heavy sound.
* * *
‘Time left 2 minutes and 20 seconds.’
Ian, who was on the lowest floor, quickly looked at the structure of the map.
Unlike the past, where the corridors were endless, the lowest floor was like a structure similar to that of a checkerboard.
Ian, who still didn’t check all the map wasn’t so sure, but he was able to make some deduction with the information that he could get through his eyes.
“Sh*t, which way should I go?”
In the room that Ian had entered, there were two doors that lead to the next room.
One door to the left, and the other right in the front.
Kaka flew over Ian’s shoulder then went forward and spoke,
“Master, I feel the energy of the dark from that side”
“Energy of the dark?”
“Yes. It is the most intense dark energy that I have ever felt.”
Ian turned his head very quickly.
‘Darkness? The darkness…? The Cintamani has nothing to do with dark attributes…’
So Ian instinctively a.s.sumed that it would be related to the ‘Dimensional Door’, which was the clear condition for the Time Attack dungeon.
Ian asked Karceus.
“Karceus, you still don’t feel any energy from the Cintamani?”
Karceus responded with a frown.
“I don’t know, Master. It seems like the energy from the west… but I’m not sure as the energy is too strong.”
Too strong, just as Kaka said it could be the energy from the dark.
But Ian didn’t have the time to worry.
“Then let’s move to the west.”
Kaka was fl.u.s.tered with Ian’s choice and looked at Ian.
“The dark energy is coming from the north side, Master. Maybe there is something in the west that your ambition won’t be able to face, it could kill you, Master.”
Ian moved quickly and replied,
“Even if I die once, the Cintamani is much more important, Kaka. Don’t speak anything else and just follow me.”
NPC’s in the Kailan all knew that the death of a user doesn’t mean its complete disappearance.
It was strange to not know it since this was a system that would revive if a pet or trail died.
“Sh*t, I just hate dying…”
Kaka was following Ian, and Karceus was opening the way for Ian.
But then.
Kwng- KwakwaKw.a.n.g-!
In front of Ian’s eyes, the floor that seemed fine for a second started to divide.
“Damage!”
Ian and Karceus moved to both sides and avoided the splintering rocks, and from the gap, gigantic creatures that were seen for the first time were creeping out.